Machine for the manufacture of buttons



Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

I8 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W /V M L llama/T417: F3 flf/LLS a: Hwww F. B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF-BUTTONS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. fan.

| 11,433,963. Patented Oct. 31,1922.

18 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q i 1w! H 4 l WWQ 'Qi 5 @1 O o Q %/1 F. B. MILLS. MACHINE FORTHE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 917.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

18 SHEETSSHEE'I 3- ATTaR/VEY F. B. MILLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

' AgPucATwN m n) one. 1917. 1,433,963. Patented Oct. 31,1922.

hvraw-ram I F6. M/LLS 3V:

F. B. MILLS. v MACHINE FOR. THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, I917.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

18 SHEETS-SHED 5.

F. B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 1917.

1,433,963. Patented Oct. 31,1922.

l8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

. 5 q .6 {0% o 00 5 o (3% QqQQQf-hw o d o IBSHEETS-SHEET 7- l/wsn/v'om F8, MILLS Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

F. B. MILLS.

APPLICATION FILED Dec. 8. I917.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

MA MM/AE F. B. MiLLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS. APPLICATION web 050. 8, 1917. 1,433,963.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

IBSHEETS-SHEETB F. B. MILLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 191?- 1,433,963.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

I8 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

F. B. MILLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8,191?- 1,433,963. I Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

' l8 SHEETS-SHEET l0.

I I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/IIIII/ I? B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8,1917.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

I8 SHEETS-SHEET II.

/NVEN Tom F B MILLS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8. 1917. 1,433,963. Patented 00t.31,1922,

. l8 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

llll F B MILLS MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

- APPLICATION FILED use. a, 19:1. 1,433,963. Patented Oct. 31, 1922. l8 SHEETS-SHEET l3- BY; ymww Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

13 SHEET$SHEEI l4- F- B. MILLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS. APPLICATION FILED 050.0,1917. 1,433,963.

INVENTM: l? 6. MILLS JMSW Arm/mm.

F. B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, I911- ssges.

I8 SHEETS-SHEET )5- Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

I NVENTOKI F. B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS. 7

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, I917.

1,433,963. Patented 001;. 31, 1922..

I8 SHEETS-SHEEI l6.

INVENTOR" FB-Mn-Ls BY;

r F. B. MILLS. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

7 APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, I91?- Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

18 SHEETS-SHEET I7.

. INVENTOR'. FB. l \u s A T-ra ri/rkx F. B. MILLS.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8,1917.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

18 SHEETSSHEET l8.

Patented Got. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT {)FFHQE,

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURE 0 BUTTONS.

Application filed December 8, 1917.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS 01" THE ACT OF MARCH 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that FRANK Bnaonnmnen MiLLs, a subject of the King of Great Brit ain and Ireland, residing at Frogmarsh Mills, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for the Mannfacture of Buttons (for which Ihave filed application in Great Britain Aug. 3, 1916, Patent No. 111,117), of which the following is a specification.

This invention for improvements in machines for the manufacture of press button fasteners relates to the manufacture of the type of metal fastener in which a lower part or stud provided with a, necked projection or shank is adaptedto enter a dome-like socket in. an upper part or eyelet containing; a spring oi? crescent or other suitable form which engages the neck of the stud to retain. the two parts of the button in their inter-locked positions and particularly to machines for the manufacture oi? the upper part or the eyelet only of the said buttons wherein are provided means for automatically stamping and forming single eyelet shells consecutively from a narrow metal strip and depositing them one at a time in a conveying device, bending or forming the spring, conveying the spring to and. inserting it in the shell, and turning over the open end of the shell to retain the spring in position and consists in an improved construction oi the operating tools or devices and arrangement of same in the machine in relation to the device employed to convey the eyelet in process of manufacture from one tool to the next, and an improved. construction and. arrangement of the said conveying device whereby the shellot the eyelet is caused to follow a rectilineal path as it passes through the machine from one tool to another so that operating tools may be duplicated and placed over and on both sides of the same conveying" device enabling similar operations to take place simultaneously, overlap, or follow in continuous or unbroken succession the said improvements having for Serial No. 206,289.

1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

their object an increased output of the machine by reason of the number of productive operations performed in given time being increased and imoroductive periods in the cycle of operations reduced to a minimum.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in wiich: 4

Fig. 1 a front elevation of a machine constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 52 is a sectional. elevation at right angles to the conveyor looking from the rear end of the machine. 7

Fig. 3 is a plan with some of the upper parts of: the machine including the driving or eccentric shaft leftout for the sake of clcarness.

Fig, 4L is a lett hand end elevation. of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a central transverse section of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation 01 the blanking and cup iing tool.

Fig. '7 illustrates in plan, side elevation and end elevation the previously prepared metallic strip from which the shells of the eyelets are stamped.

Figs. 8 to 10 are respectively a plan, side elevation and an end elevation of the strip feed and locking mechanism.

Figs. 11 and 12 are side elevations partly in section illustrating clearly the action of the feed an d. locking mechanism on the strip.

Figs. 13 and 14 are detail side and edge respectively of mechanism for imparting an intermittent or step by step forward motion to the conveyor.

Fig. 22 is a sectional plan of a group of ratchet wheels forming part of the step by step mechanism. I

Figs. 23 and 245 are detail side and edge views of cam mechanism therefor.

Figs. 25 and 2-6 are transverse section and horizontal section respectively taken through the conveyor, its carrier and associated turning over tool.

Figs. 27 and 2S illustrate in sectlonal elevation an eyelet before and after being subjected to the operation of the turning over tool.

Figs. 29 and 30 are detail vertical section and side elevation respectively of adjustable mechanism arranged between the turning over tool and its operating cam.

Figs. 31 and 32 are elevations at right angles of the wire feed mechanism, Fig. 32 being partly in section.

Figs. 33, 3a and are detail views same.

Figs. 36 and 3'? are sectional elevations illustrating the construction of the feed rolls and showing the operative parts thereof in different positions.

Figs. 38, 39, l0 and 41 are detail views.

Figs-l2 to 47 are plans drawn on a larger scale showing different operative positions of the parts of the spring forming mechanism which operate directly on the wire.

Fig. 48 is the front elevation of the pair of spring forming devices removed from the machine.

Fig. a9 is a plan of the spring forming devices.

Fig. 50 is a similar view to Fig. 19 but with parts of the mechanism removed.

Fig. 51 is a longitudinal section of the spring forming mechanism.

Fig. 52 is a transverse section or the same.

Figs. 53 to 56 are detail views.

shown in Figs. 1 to 5 the whole of the automatic operations are effected through suitable connections from an upper or eccentric shaft A provided with a belt pulley and fly wheel and a lower or cam shaft A driven from the shaft A through chain gear, the chain wheel A? being mounted on one end of the shaft A and the driving pulley A at the other end.

On the shaft A are mounted three eccentrics B, C, D, the two outer eccentrics B, D, being connected through rods B D to the lower block or cross head E carrying the blanking tool F. while the middle eccentric C is connected by a shorter connecting rod C to the upper block or cross head E carrying the cupping tool F which passes through the blanking tool.

Near the ends of shaft A cams G, H are mounted which actuate respectively mechanism hereinafter fully described for impartof the ing a step by step or intermittent forward movement to the conveyor, and mechanism for turning over the edge of the eyelet shell to secure the spring in position.

Other cams I, J, are also mounted on the shaft A. Cam I operates through a bell crank lever I and links 1 a vertical plunger I which controls the insertion of the spring in the eyelet shell.

Cain J operates the strip feed mechanism. 011 the cam shaft A at opposite ends thereof are pairs of cams L, L which actuate through levers M, M and adjustable links N, N slides carrying the spring forming tools. At the middle of the shaft A are mounted two wire feeding devices which are described in detail hereinafter, and adjacent to the wire feeding mechanism on opposite sides thereof are mounted pairs of cams O, actuating through levers 0 O, and links m y, vertically reciprocating slide blocks carrying the central stud. and pins which pass upwards through a die plate and assist in forming the springs. Face cams P, P also carried on the shaft A actuate through levers Q, Q rocking shafts R, R arms S, S, links T, T and arms or cranks g, mechanism for oscillating spring bending pins hereinafter fully described.

A grooved pulley U keyed on the shaft A Fig. 3 is provided for driving through suit able gear the roller not shown on which the scrap strip is wound up. I

Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 to let the metallic strip Fig. 7 from which the blanks for forming the shells of the eyelets are punched by the blanking tool as the strip is fed through the machine to the roller for winding up the scrap strip, having been first subjected to a preliminary operation in a separate machine whereby .the dome like sockets b are formed and slotted as shown, is fed under the blanking and cupping tools F, F Figs. 2 and 6 and held in the desired position during the blanking and cupping op erations by intermittent feeding and locking mechanism including a bifurcated feed pawl c. a cranked lever (Z to which the pawl c is pivotally and adjustably attached by a pivot bolt and slot connection and an adjustable support or carriage e to which the lever (Z is pivoted, said carriage working in guides 7' attached to the framing of the machine. The cranked lever is connected by a link 9 and clamping collar h to the vertical rod 71 mounted to slide in vertical guide lugs 7' on the end frame of the machine and reciprocated by the cam J Figs. 2, 13 and 14 car ried by the upper or eccentric shaft A of the machine. Cam J operates on a roller on the upper end of the rod 71 which is pulled up wards towards the cam by a spring 70. The long arm of the lever (Z carries a tooth or stop Z which towards the end of the feeding 

